Warrior of Love
by JD-503
Summary: She left a year and a half ago once she had gotten her heart shattered into pieces. Now she's back only to realize she's a bigger part of the tribe and their legends than anyone ever knew. To her dismay she feels herself break at the thought of leaving the Rez and leaving him - the person who sucked her right into this mess just by looking into her beautiful brown eyes.
1. Chapter 1

**a/n:** So, I'm really supposed to be doing my business homework right now but I am a huge procrastinator and will get to it later on. Anyway, I was sitting in my room about an hour and a half ago trying to focus on my homework when I got an idea of a new fanfiction – Leah-based, of course. Anyway, I'm here it is! Please, give it a go and let me know what you think!

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**Leah's POV**

It's been a year and a half since I had left La Push to live with my aunt in Alaska. It's been a year and a half since Samuel Uley – the man I _thought_ was the love of my life – dumped me for my cousin, Emily Young – who I always considered my best friend, my sister. I have never, up until that fateful night he broke my heart, felt rage. Felt betrayal. Felt _hate._ When most couples break up, they each go out of their way to avoid the other. Samuel – I refuse to call him _Sam _anymore – felt the need to always check up on me, always asking if I was okay.

The fact that he felt compelled to keep checking up on me infuriated me to the brink of insanity. _Why _was he making the effort to act as if he still gave a damn about me when he so obviously is head over heels for my _cousin? _Oh, and let me tell you about their relationship. First they tried to make it as low-key as possible just for me. How thoughtful of them – note the sarcasm. But even then, they couldn't keep their relationship as discreet as they intended, I_ was_ after all, living on a reservation where everyone loved to gossip about anything and everything at _every fucking corner_.

It was because of the looks of pity and whispers of sympathy from the entire fucking tribe that I finally packed my shit and dipped. Obviously, I told my family. They were sad to see me go, but supportive nonetheless. My mom has a sister who lives in Alaska with her ridiculously rich white husband who was of a high ranking in the military. My aunt was psyched to have me stay with her for the remainder of my Junior year and my whole Senior year.

"You're going to love it here, Lee! Much more to see than a stinkin' reservation." That was enough motivation to high tail my ass out of this hell hole. I left about a week after the breakup and things only got more interesting for me. First off, I met a coven of Vampires – two actually. The Cullens and their friends. Yes, I'm aware that the Cullen's were people – err, vampires – that my tribe has a strong dislike for. I'm also aware that any of them was very capable of draining me dry. Here's the thing though: One, I'm nowhere near La Push, so who I mingle with is really none of my tribes business, and Two, my life was already fucked up as it is so if any of these vamps really wanted to kill me, they would and I would let them – it's not like I have anything left to motivate me to keep living.

Boy, what a shock it was when I realized none of the vampires had any intention of killing me. According to them, my blood didn't even smell appealing. That wasn't too surprising though, nothing in my life ever seemed to go right – I couldn't even get a vampire to want to drain me dry!

It all started out the second week of adjusting to living in Alaska. I met Edward Cullen while wandering in the forest and it eventually became a routine. I would meet him in the forest, usually in the same spot or somewhere near. Neither of us said anything, but I always got the feeling that he was curious of why I was always there. I caught him draining some poor deer dry one day and out of curiosity, I asked him why he hadn't even attempted to hurt me over the past week of our little meetings. We had a spat: I didn't understand why he didn't just kill me. He growled at me and said – no _yelled_ - that "despite my beliefs, I still have a bright future ahead of me and I shouldn't be wasting my life away sulking like a little girl."

I slapped him and immediately regretted it as my hand felt like it had been crushed by bricks. The asshole just stood there amused, he didn't even flinch! I remember wincing as I tried stretching my fingers out. He immediately took me to his house where I met every single one of his family members. I was scared shitless. And they knew it. I was surprised with how _human_ they were – every story my dad had ever told me about this family went out the window once they told me about their lifestyle and the struggles they have to deal with every day.

I ended up apologizing to Edward for slapping him, even if it hurt me more than it did him. I wasn't a heartless bitch and I still had my manners. Sure, I had become a bitch at La Push once Samuel left me but that was because the whole fucking tribe kept looking at me with pity – like I was about to break into a million pieces any minute. Even my aunt and her husband were cautious with me and it annoyed the hell out of me. This family though, they treated me like a normal person and I was grateful for it. I, in return, treated them with respect.

I found Rosalie to be a good friend – best, even. We had so much in common that our friendship seemed to fall into place naturally. We both had defense mechanisms for our own reasons and that made us appreciate the others strength. She was also upfront with me and vice versa. She didn't sugarcoat things and I loved that. Alice, was the complete opposite. Don't get me wrong, the pixie was a good friend as well, but I can only change my outfit a million times a day before wanting to kill myself to end the suffering. I'm a girl, I do like to shop, but I have my limits. For a little person she sure was suffocating. She was always irritated with the fact that she couldn't see my future when everyone else's was so clear - again, something I couldn't do right. Then there's Esme. She reminded me too much of my mother so it hurt to be alone with her for too long, but I enjoyed her presence nonetheless. She always knew how to warm my mood.

The men were a different story. Carlisle was so compassionate. People always use the phrase "wouldn't hurt a fly." This guy literally wouldn't. I don't know how he manages to be so nice. I can't even curse in front of him because I feel like it would ruin the atmosphere or his innocence or something. Emmett was a force to be reckoned with. I never, in my life, have ever heard so many sexual, racist, and sexist, jokes in a span of 5 minutes. He loved to annoy the hell out of me and in return, I did whatever I could to push his buttons. Jasper was someone I liked hanging out with because his "gift" was the funniest shit ever! I loved making him feel uncomfortable - I remember asking him to make me feel horny. If he could blush, he would be beat red. I could literally feel the embarrassment coming off of him in waves. He chuckled lightly and said, "that's not a very lady-like thing to request, my darlin.'"

Then there's Edward who has become someone I confided in. One day I got tired of his moping and demanded what the hell his problem was. I was shocked when he gestured for me to take a seat and told me everything there was to know about him – the Bella fiasco included. He told me we were somewhat on the same boat – we were runaways. I don't know why, but I ended up telling him about myself – the Samuel-Emily fiasco included.

He helped me, you know. He helped me deal with the pain, and I guess I helped him deal with his as well. I was slowly getting better and I had him and his family to thank for that. Then he got a call from Rose saying Bella – the brainless idiot – had "died" jumping off a cliff. He told me how sorry he was for leaving so abruptly but had to leave to Forks to at least attend her funeral. I nodded, I understood. I wasn't mad. It was a quick goodbye, and just like that my friends, who I've become so close to over the past months, were leaving for Forks. Maybe for good.

That was two months ago.

I had received a call from my mom this morning asking me to come down to La Push because my dad has been really ill. It wasn't surprising. My dad always had heart problems, and with all the junk he was eating, it was a wonder how it still managed to keep beating. We all – me, mom, and Seth – always told him to eat healthier, but he was a stubborn man and never listened. My mom even refused to buy meat for a month – which was hell – but my dad, including me and Seth, always found a way to get our hands on a couple of burgers.

So now I'm in a cab on my way to the one place I didn't think I'd see so soon. I had called the Cullens to let them know that I was heading back home and they were delighted. I just wasn't sure my tribe would be as welcoming. I could already feel the pitying stares from the tribe. Sam Uley's ex-girlfriend finally returns. "Poor Leah Clearwater," they would say.

"Why couldn't you just eat healthy like we told you to, dad?" I whispered angrily to myself. The closer I got to La Push, the more my anxiety grew. I did not want to be here. The cab drove quickly as there were no other cars on the road and soon enough, we were passing familiar signs and landmarks. I could hear my heart pounding in my chest. I had knots in my stomach. My palms were getting sweaty and my body seemed to be anticipating something. What that something was, I had no idea.

My eyes darted around my surroundings, taking everything in. I had a bad feeling in my stomach that something big – something life-changing was going to happen soon. I felt like whatever I was going to be facing was something I couldn't escape and that scared me to the very pits of hell. The last thing I wanted was to be tied down to the damn place. I wanted out. But my father needs me and that's what's more important. My number one priority is to stay with my dad and be there for him.

"We're here," the driver announced.

"What!?" I choked. "Already?"

I guess my anxiety was all over my face because he gave me a small smile and said "Afraid so, miss. Do want me to help you with your bags?

"Yes, please," I said in a quiet voice.

We started to unload the trunk of all my luggage when the door nearly broke off it's hinges by my huge little brother running to embrace me in a bone-crushing hug, lifting me up the ground and spinning me around in the process.

"Jesus, Seth!" I laughed. "What has mom been feeding you? You're huge!"

"I eat all my vegetables now," he joked, setting me on the ground.

More people started to gather out of the house and crowded around me, most of them were familiar faces. My parents were next to embrace me with smiles and tears.

"Leah, honey! We're so glad you're back," my mom smiled with tears in her eyes.

"I missed having you around, princess," my dad said, squeezing my hand tightly.

My heart tightened at the sight of my father in such an ill state. He looked like he's been suffering a lot and my guilt was starting to eat at me from not even thinking about visiting him earlier.

"Leah." Oh no. Please, God, no.

Why would he be here? What is the point? Why after 3 minutes of peace with my family is he already ruining my life?

I turned sharply and looked into the eyes of the man that broke my heart and said in an emotionless tone, "You have no business being here. You're wasting your time here. Leave."

His face fell and was about to respond when a hand fell on his shoulder, cutting him off effectively. I looked at the hand and trailed my eyes up the arm, his neck, and finally landing on his eyes.

All thoughts immediately left my mind as I stared into the dark brown orbs that seemed to be effortlessly pulling me in. I had no idea what was happening to me but I felt as if all the strings that tied me to Sam had vanished. All the strings tying me to everything that wasn't this man – gone. I was terrified but felt safe at the same time. My sorrows were fading away one by one. I felt lighter. I took a closer look at his face and realized this his face was a familiar one. It was a face I had grown up with my whole life. I looked at the strong features of his face and noticed that there were slight traces of his baby face that were there. They were faint, but still there. I looked at the necklace that hung around his neck - one that was similar to the one Rachel and Rebecca Black wore - and gasped. This was Jacob Black!

"Holy shit." That's all I heard before all hell broke loose.

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**a/n: **Please lemme know what you think, it's much appreciated! I'd like to know my train of thought doesn't go to waste! Hope you all enjoyed :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Leah's POV**

"Damn, Jake, you definitely got bragging rights, now!" A tall man - actually everyone around me was ridiculously tall - punched Jacob in the shoulder playfully.

Samuel looked pained but furious at the same time. His entire frame seemed to be shaking and if I'm being honest with myself, I was starting to get a little worried. No one shakes like that unless they're having a seizure. But Sam - _Samuel - _looked like he was focusing hard on something. Like he was trying to get himself to stop trembling.

I noticed that two other tall men were flanking him. They each held Samuel in place and whispered things to him. Whatever they were saying seemed to have worked because he slowly stopped shaking and the red from his face started to fade. The two men that flanked him were staring at me curiously - well one of them was, the other one was looking at me like I was something to eat. I immediately wanted to punch the hungry-looking one in the face for eyeing me like _that. _

"Unbelievable," I heard my dad whisper.

I whipped my head toward him, "What is it, daddy?"

He didn't answer, he just kept looking between me and Jacob - which really made me uncomfortable. Talk about awkward situations.

I noticed that Seth was unnaturally quiet. I turned to face him and recoiled at the infuriated look on his face. I thought Samuel's trembling figure was scary - Seth looked like he could barely keep it together! He was shaking so horribly.

"Seth," I said, cautiously taking a step toward him.

"My _sister?!_" Seth growled. My eyes widened at the low sound coming from his chest. It was so primitive. So _animalistic_. What is he so angry about? I just _got_ here, there's absolutely no possible way I could have already pissed him off!

It was then that I realized that Jacob hadn't taken his eyes off me once and that was crossing the creepy line just a teeny bit. His eyes held such an intense look that it scared me, yet I found myself wanting to look right into his eyes. Seth's question, however, seemed to snap him out of his trance because he looked at Seth and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, kid, you know I can't help it," he laughed. His voice. His voice sounded just as sexy as he looked. _God!_ It was deep and husky and_ fuuuuck_, I want to hear more.

Wait. What the hell? This is Rachel and Rebecca's little brother I'm fawning over. Jesus! If they were here to see me ogling their brother they'd never let me live it down! Shit, what if Edward was here? I bet he'd be rolling in laughter! Hell, he'd probably turn me just so he could tease me for eternity! Or worse. . . . he'd tell _Emmett._

Seth was in Jacob's face in a blink of an eye, squaring up to him. Before I could even register what happened, Jacob was backtracking and groaning in pain as he had his hands cupping his nose - which was bleeding profusely. I felt pain, anger, confusion, and frustration all hit me once like an emotional bomb, causing me to groan inwardly. I felt as if_ I_ just got punched in the nose and had no idea why!

"Holy shit, Seth! Where have you been hiding that right hook?" Another man laughed, he was leaning over Jacob and trying to get a good look at his broken nose.

"That was great, kid," the man with the hungry look in his eyes said, smirking in approval. Samuel looked smug.

I turned to my parents and noticed neither one of them looked shocked or worried. If anything the both of them looked quite satisfied. What the fuck is wrong with the people here? What am I missing? Is Jacob secretly a jackass? Is that why no one looks remotely worried for him?

I'm pretty sure my mouth was on the ground by now. These guys didn't even _act_ shocked, they acted like this was normal. Like they went around and punched each other in the face on a daily basis. I looked at my brother - who definitely seemed like a grown-up bad ass - and realize that punching Jacob didn't even ease his anger.

"This isn't over, Jake," Seth growled, before running into the forest.

"Oh my God! Seth!" I yelled, after him. I made to run after him but was stopped by Samuel who held a firm grip on my arm.

"Let go!" I yelled, angrily trying to rip his arm from mine.

"Sam," my father said in a calm but stern tone, "Release her. Leah?"

"Daddy, he's gonna get hurt! He can't go in there by himself! I have to go after him!"

"He'll be okay, Lee," my dad smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'll have one of the guys go look for him, okay?"

"Who?" I asked curiously. Why would any of these guys go out of their way to find a temperamental teenager?

"Embry, Quil!" My dad said, nodding at the two who were flanking Jacob. My eyes bulged out of their sockets. _That's_ Embry and Quil? No way. No fucking way! I remember hanging out with them when I was younger but I don't remember them looking like_ this_. Holy shit! Did every guy on the Rez grow an extra 10 inches or so? Why does everyone here suddenly look so hot? You see, I thought they looked familiar, but I just didn't expect to have my mind blown like _this! _

"Wassup, boss?" Quil, the burlier one, asked, grinning.

"You and Embry, go find Seth." I stared at my dad in disbelief. Does he seriously trust these two to find Seth?

Jacob's head snapped up to look at my dad and speak but my dad spoke before he could get a word out, "Jacob, I need to have a word with you. Sam, I believe there are to be a few changes made."

Both of them nodded without question. Since when do they take orders from my dad? I mean, of course they respect him because he's an elder, but they've never been this obedient.

"You're kidding, right?" I laughed, remembering the Seth situation. This is a joke. When I noticed none of them were laughing at all, I felt my anger boil.

"You two," - I pointed at Embry and Quil, "Let's go. I'm gonna help you find my brother and that's final."

"Take care of her," my dad sighed, knowing he can't possible win _this_ argument.

"Will do," they both said.

Once we entered the forest, Quil took this as his cue to break the silence.

"So, Leah. . . . it's good to have you back," he grinned.

"I guess. . . . " what the hell do I say to that? I wasn't going to lie and tell him that I was glad to be back - because I'm not at all. And I'm not going to tell him the truth and say that coming back here was the last thing on my mind because I'm not trying to bitch at someone who's just trying to make this situation less awkward. 'I guess' is a good enough response, right?

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good," I shrugged, "Same old, same old. How are you guys? You all are huge!"

"That's what she said," Quil said, bursting in laughter.

I tried to fight it but I couldn't help the smile that cracked it's way onto my face. This is Quil, alright, always with the dirty mind. His physical appearance has changed, but his mind is still definitely in the gutter.

"Classy, Quil," I snorted.

"Hasn't changed a bit, has he?" Embry laughed, nudging my arm with his elbow.

"Not one bit," I agreed. "So who are those other two guys that were back there with you all?"

"You mean Jared and Paul? The one's holding Sam back?" Embry laughed a booming laugh. "Can't believe you couldn't even recognize them. Paul, I can understand. But Jared? He was in your class, Leah."

I stopped dead in my tracks. That was Paul and Jared? Paul Lahote and Jared Cameron? Ho-ly _shit! _But I suppose it makes sense, only Paul can look that invasive just by looking at you. I should've known it was him by the way he was looking at me!

I had no idea where we were going, it seemed like we were walking in circles. I was starting to panic. What if Seth got lost? What if we got lost? I took side-glances at Quil and Embry and noticed they were both walking with not a care in the world. They weren't even watching where they were going, it's like they knew the forest by memory. I hadn't even realized that they had been guiding me throughout the forest, holding branches over my head and keeping me from tripping over roots and vines.

"Where are you, Seth?" I whispered quietly to myself.

"He's not far from here," Embry assured me.

"Seth! Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Quil snickered.

Just then, Seth came bounding out from behind some bushes and pulled me in for a tight hug. "Sorry for the scare, sis."

"What the hell did you think running into the damn forest would accomplish? You could've gotten lost!"

I heard Embry and Quil laughing but I ignored them.

"I'm sorry, Lee," Seth said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Let's just go home, okay? I'll try not to scare you like that again."

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The walk back home was surprisingly fun. I learned about how close all of the guys were, Quil said they were all basically brothers. That made me smile because Seth always wanted a brother and now he has a whole bunch that look exactly like him - same tattoo and everything. Speaking of tattoos, I asked them about it and they were instantly cautious with their answers. They said it was just a tattoo to show their pride for our tribe - I _had_ to roll my eyes at that one. Then I asked them why they all seemed to gather around Samuel like he was some big-shot Again, they became guarded and chose their words carefully. It was annoying and beyond frustrating because obviously the three of them were hiding something from me, but I know a thing or two about secrecy and how annoying nosy people are. So I dropped the subject and let it go.

We reached my house quicker than I expected. I gave both Embry and Quil a hug because I didn't exactly get the chance to greet them earlier today, and for helping me find Seth.

"You go in, Leah," Seth said. He smiled, but it looked forced. "I'm just gonna cool down a bit. I'll be in there in a minute. Promise."

"Okay," I sighed. I understood wanting to be alone for a while a little to well. "Hurry back in."

He smiled and nodded.

I opened the door and was face-to-face with Jacob Black. He was smiling warmly at me, his eyes inviting me in.

"Leah," he breathed. Then I was wrapped in the most tight, warm, and amazing bear hug ever. "You're back."

I laughed, "I got here about an hour and a half ago, Jake."

"I meant the forest," he smiled, "You're back from the forest."

"Yeah, uh. . . . are you gonna let me in my house or what?" I couldn't help the stupid smile stretching across my face.

He moved swiftly to the side to let me enter, but I swear I heard him sniff the top of my head. Weird.

I flopped onto the couch and he planted himself right next to me. Like our legs and arms were literally touching, which was awkward because there was a whole other couch that was free to use. Not that I mind the close proximity, it's just a little - _a lot_ - weird.

"Geez, Jake, did you seriously miss me that much?" I laughed, playfully bumping his shoulder.

"Every minute," he said seriously, nodding. I whipped my head around to look him directly in the eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"O. . . kay?" This is getting a little too weird and intense for my liking.

Seth chose that exact moment to walk into the house with a humongous smirk on his face. He looked at Jacob with a fairly amused expression. He didn't say anything as he walked straight into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna go see if Seth needs any help," I said, quickly getting to my feet.

"I'll come with you." Oh geez. What is _up_ with this guy?

"Jake," Seth coughed, trying to hide a laugh, "Your dad wants you home."

He looked at me as if asking for permission. I rolled my eyes in response, "Geez, Jake. Go home. We'll see you tomorrow, probably."

"Okay," he smiled. I automatically felt myself grinning like an idiot back at him and getting lost in his beautiful brown eyes.

"Later, Black!" I said before turning on my heels and heading up to my room.

Jesus Christ. If I would have stayed there for a few more seconds looking into his eyes, I would have done something stupid like hug him or_ kiss_ him! It's terrifying because I have no idea why I feel so strongly connected to Jacob or why being near him makes me giddy with excitement. Why was Seth so angry today? How the Hell did Quil and Embry find Seth? Why is Jacob acting like an idiot? A sexy idiot? Why did I feel like I was punched in the face when he was groaning in pain? Why does it feel like everyone is hiding something from me? Why can't they trust me?

Why am I still an outsider? I love my family, I really do. But it's times like these when I can't help but compare them to the Cullens. At least the Cullens don't keep me in the dark.

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**a/n: **Please review! Let me know what you all think so far! :) Just a heads up, next chapter will be in Jake's POV - well, that's if you all still want me to continue the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Jacob's POV**

I didn't understand why I was felt so antsy. Every minute that passed made me jumpy in anticipation. I had no idea why I was feeling that way. I tried to hold myself together but apparently my odd behavior was obvious for the guys to see. Most of them gave me odd looks, but didn't say anything. Sam, however, did.

"What's up with you?" he had asked.

"I have no idea," I said, scratching the back of my head. "I just have this weird feeling – like I can't even stop moving because my wolf is jumping around in excitement."

"What could possibly get your wolf this hyped up to make you act so strange?"

"I don't know, Sam. I just feel like I'm being pulled toward something and I don't know what the fuck it is – I'm freaking out!"

"Relax," he said, "We'll talk to the elders about it later tonight. We have to head to the Clearwaters before Leah arrives. Come on."

Leah Clearwater. I haven't heard that name or seen her face since she left about a year ago. I felt really bad for Leah. It's not every day your boyfriend leaves you for your cousin with no explanation. I once asked why Sam didn't just rebel and let Leah in on the secret, at least then she'd understand that the imprint was something that couldn't be fought. But Sam, being an honorable person, said the secret was too important, that Leah would find someone else that would make her happy. Although Sam was completely devoted to Emily, I knew he still ached for Leah. Once she left, he was a mess. Jared and Paul told us about how snappy he was after she left La Push and how he'd make them patrol nonstop.

I couldn't really blame Leah for wanting to get the hell out of La Push. Everywhere I went, all I heard was how tragic the Leah-Sam-Emily situation was_. I_ was starting to get annoyed with all the talk, I could only imagine how _she_ was feeling. So she left. She left about the same time that leech left Bella. Damn, I hate Edward so much. First he leaves Bella, comes back to what he thought was her funeral – but ended up being some guys in Forks – and then takes her back. The worst part is that she didn't even think twice about running back in his arms. Fuck everything I did for her while she was broken, none of that mattered to her once her precious leech was back in her life.

I had no idea why Sam's made us all go over to the Clearwaters. I was betting my life-savings that the last thing Leah wanted to see was Sam and his "gang" awaiting her arrival in her own home. I knew her long enough to know that if she saw us all the moment she arrived home, she'd flip out and might actually hurt one of us. Sam, of course, knew this too, but his excitement of Leah being back clouded his logic.

When heard the sound of a car door shutting and Seth immediately got to his feet with the biggest smile imaginable stretched across his face. Even I couldn't help the adrenaline that shot its way through my veins.

"Leah's here!" Seth bellowed.

He ran out of the garage and nearly tore down the front door. He lifted Leah up in the air and hugged her tightly. She laughed – which was such a melodious sound to me – as Seth spun her around in the air. Her hair had blocked her face and I had the biggest urge to walk over to where she was just to be near her. I remember my wolf whining and begging me to walk over to her and Seth, but I wanted to at least give her a moment with her brother and the rest of her family before she had to face _us._

It felt like an eternity as I stood there silently begging her to look over at me so I could see her face - which was annoying as hell because I already knew what she looked like. But that was the wolf again that wanted to see her, to see all of her. He wanted her to see me, to see _us._

It wasn't until Sue and Harry quickly ran out the door to embrace her when she turned around with a big smile on her face that made me suck in a sharp breath of air. She was _beautiful. _I mean, Leah has always been pretty, but now – she was breath-taking! My wolf was snarling in frustration now, demanding that I walk over to her and make my presence known, but I was too entranced by her.

Then of course when Sam decided to make his presence known, she tensed immediately and I wanted to face-palm myself at Sam's stupidity. I mean, did he actually think she would be happy to see him? She took a deep breath, and very slowly, turned to face him completely. I was a good 2 feet away from Sam but even then I couldn't help but admire her flawless skin, or her silky hair, she was mesmerizing.

"Leah." He had said it like he couldn't really believe she was there.

"You have no business being here," she said in a flat, serious tone, "You're wasting your time. Leave."

I knew immediately that Sam would go out of his way to get Leah to hear him out, to do anything to get her to forgive him. I was next to him in an instant and placed a hand on his shoulder, silently hoping that he needed to back off right now.

I watched as her eyes landed on my hand, trailed up my arms, my chest, up my neck, and finally landing on my eyes. The moment our eyes locked, all thoughts of Bella vanished. All my worries – gone. The heavy weight on my shoulder was suddenly being lifted and I felt a hundred times lighter. I could not bring myself to look away from her. My wolf was howling in approval but he wasn't completely satisfied, he wanted to touch her. But I couldn't bring myself to move. I watched as her eyes landed on the necklace around my neck and gasped.

"Holy shit," I heard Embry say.

"Damn, Jake! You definitely got bragging rights now!" Paul laughed as he punched me in the shoulder. I didn't even budge. I just could not take my eyes off of her. Part of me was reveling in the fact that I was so close to her, and another part of me was questioning the whole situation – even though I had a pretty good idea of what just happened.

I decided to block everything out just to focus on her, to memorize everything about her. I was snapped out of my trance when Seth snarled at me furiously, punched me in the face, and ran into the forest. I, of course, couldn't go after Leah, Embry, and Quil, because Harry wanted a word with me. That didn't mean I was wasn't worried out of my mind and already missing her.

* * *

"Would you like to tell me what is going on?" Harry asked with a stern look upon his face.

"I – I think I imprinted on Leah," I said dumbly.

"You think you imprinted?" He asked skeptically.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I imprinted on her," I said slowly. "It's just different."

"Different? How?"

"It doesn't feel like Sam with Emily or Jared with Quil. . . ." I said trailing off.

Great. I can't even imprint properly. What if she hates me? Man, the spirits suck! They must really hate me!

"Then it's not an imprint!" Sam exclaimed, looking relieved. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him and turned my attention back to Harry.

"What's different about it, son?" he asked, truly curious.

"Sam and Jared feel like, a pull, or something, toward their imprint." I was trying my hardest to remember how they described the imprint bond when we were phased. "It's different with Leah. I don't feel a pull toward her – well I did when I felt her arriving, but once I saw her it just went away."

"So you don't feel drawn to her yet you say you imprinted on her?"

"No – well yeah. When I looked into her eyes, I felt this huge weight get lifted off my shoulder, like I had nothing to worry about anymore. Just her. Like she's meant to be by my side. . . . I don't know how else to explain it. It just felt right."

"I see." Harry said, rubbing his chin in thought. "What about your wolf?"

"Oh geez, I could barely contain him. He was going insane, he was practically begging me to go near her and touch her or something."

"This is strange," Harry said. "It certainly sounds like an imprint, but parts of it are questionable. I'll talk to your father and Old Quil at the next council meeting."

"Yes sir."

"Sam, gather the boys. I need to have a word with Jacob – in private."

Sam, Jared, and Paul left without a word leaving me with a very hard-faced Harry Clearwater.

"Jacob," he said, "That's my baby girl you just put a claim on."

"I know." Well this is awkward.

"I never wanted her to get dragged into this world," he said, shaking his head sadly.

"I'm sorry." I was being sincere. Now another person was going to get dragged into this messy world all because I couldn't keep my eyes to myself.

"Sorry? For what? Finding your soul mate?" He scoffed. "Don't be sorry, son, it's not your fault or hers. It is destiny and you must not question it."

"But you're angry," I said, except it came out more like a question.

"I just got my baby girl back and she's already being taken away from me. What did you expect?" Way to make me feel like shit, Harry.

"I know," I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"You treat her right, Jacob," he said in a firm tone, "If you _ever _hurt her, you better hope I don't find you."

"I promise I won't ever hurt her," I say, and I'm surprised at the truth in my words and how effortlessly they came out.

"Good." He nodded. "Now go wait on the couch for her, I'm sure she'll want an explanation of why you were staring at her like some bumbling idiot."

He was laughing and I scowled at his retreating figure. I don't know how long I sat there waiting for her, but when I heard the sound of her laughter – along with Seth's, Embry's, and Quil's – I jumped to my feet and waited anxiously by the door. I heard Seth tell her to go in alone.

I could literally feel my anticipation grow as her footsteps came closer and closer before eventually stopping at the door. The door knob turned agonizingly slow, I was tempted to rip the door off its hinges just to speed up the process. I watched as the door opened wide to give me a good, clear view, of her on the other side of the door. She wore a shocked expression at seeing me in her house. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Leah," I breathed her name and loved how smoothly it rolled off my tongue. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. "You're back."

She laughed and I felt my own lips lifting up at the feel of her laughter vibrating against my chest. "I got here about an hour and a half ago, Jake."

"I meant the forest," I said as I released her. "You're back from the forest."

"Yeah, uh. . . . you gonna let me in my house or what?" She was smiling, she looked really happy. I was happy that she was happy. I was happy that she didn't mind being alone with me. You can only imagine how happy my wolf was.

I stepped aside to let her through and couldn't help but sniff the top of her head. I wanted to remember her scent, have it ingrained in my head forever.

She made her way over to the couch and flopped onto it. I fell right beside her, leaving no room between us. I wanted to be as close to her as possible. My wolf was yipping in satisfaction and my logical human side wanted to bang my head against the pavement for doing such a stupid thing. How awkward is this? I hope she's not weirded out by my closeness.

"Geez, Jake. Did you seriously miss me that much?" she laughed, bumping my shoulder with hers.

"Every minute," I responded before I even had time to think my answer through. I wanted to slap myself. If she wasn't weirded out by my closeness, she's definitely a little creeped out now. I can never keep my mouth shut. The thing is, I'm completely serious. I started to miss her the moment she left with Quil and Embry.

"O. . .kay?" Yeah, she's definitely weirded out. Now what do I do? How the hell do I show her that I'm not some creep? Damn, this imprinting thing is _hard!_

Seth walked through the door with a smug look on his face. He didn't say anything to either of us as he walked straight into the kitchen.

"I'm gonna go see if Seth needs any help," she said suddenly getting to her feet.

"I'll come with you," I said, not missing a beat. I was already standing next to her, waiting for her to lead the way.

"Jake," Seth coughed, "Your dad wants you home."

Fuck! I barely had any time to spend with Leah. I felt both the disappointment from myself and the wolf. I looked to Leah, waiting for her to say something – anything.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Geez, Jake. Go home. We'll see you tomorrow, probably."

I grinned. Tomorrow. "Okay."

"Later, Black!" she smiled before closing the door and darting up the stairs to her room.

I left the house feeling the lightest I have ever felt in a long time. On one hand, I had this huge weight that was gone. I didn't feel like I was getting stabbed repeatedly when I thought about Bella. I didn't even care about the leeches across the border. All my worries were gone and it felt good. But then there's the other thing. The imprinting thing. I have always despised it. I wanted to choose who I fall in love with, I want my free will. Imprinting is something I never wanted. But by imprinting on Leah, I'm back to being the happy, care-free guy I used to be before all this supernatural shit happened. I felt like me again. Except I'm not because I turn into a wolf and the girl I just imprinted on is my Alpha's ex-girlfriend. My friend's older sister. An elders daughter. A girl who has no idea about anything.

Which ice breaking method am I supposed to use when we finally approach _that _topic?

* * *

**a/n**: I don't know what I like better – writing Jacob's POV or Leah's. Please review and lemme know what you think, =) Please point out any typos, I wrote this late at night and wanted to post it ASAP for you all. Even if I re-read my work, I sometimes miss a few things.


	4. Chapter 4

**LPOV**

I woke up in a surprisingly good mood today. Other than the weird events that took place yesterday – a group of shirtless guys welcoming my return, my brother running off into the forest, Quil and Embry finding him without difficulty, Samuel having matching tattoos as the rest of the guys _including_ my baby brother, and Jacob – my day was actually a decent one. I spent time with my family and caught up on everything I missed, well not_ everything_ – I didn't miss the way they all eyed each other when I asked about Samuel and his servants. Or why they all had matching tattoos like a group of douche-y frat boys. Even with my family's super obvious secret, silent conversation with each other, I didn't let that ruin my mood. It probably wasn't that big of a deal anyway, so I brushed it off and changed the subject.

I will find out sooner or later though. If I can somehow get Edward close enough to the Rez without actually crossing the stupid borders my ancestors drew, he could pick their minds and let me know what's up with everyone's secrecy. Or if my family decides to go to Forks out of the blue, I'll tell Edward to meet me wherever we go and "casually" bump into him. Geez! I'm way too smart for my own good, how do I come up with these ideas?

Man, I miss Edward. I miss all the Cullens. I wonder how they're doing….

I remember when Edward was telling me how badly he wanted to drain Bella dry every time he was around her – for some reason I found that to be completely hilarious. He, of course, glared at me for being a nuisance. I have never been Bella's biggest fan, and it's not like I hate her for no reason. She irritates me to the high heavens because even as little kids, trouble seemed to follow her _everywhere!_ And since her dad was good friends with my dad, Billy, and Quil Jr., I usually got caught up in her trouble because she was _always_ around. And now she has a vampire who is crazy in love with her. How does that even work? I asked Edward that once, he told me it didn't.

"Lee!" Seth called, knocking on my door. "You up?"

"Yeah, come in!" I sat up and noticed my blanket was lying on the floor across the room. That's weird. I don't remember flinging my blanket across the room last night. Weird.

"Morning, sis!" Seth smiled, hopping onto my bed. "How you feelin' today?"

"I feel great, Seth," I laughed. "What's up? I know you're not in here just to make small talk."

"You know me too well," he grinned. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to go to the beach with me? A couple of the guys will be there –

I made face at the mention of "the guys" because I knew which guys he was referring to. Not that I have a problem with any of them – with the exception of Samuel – it's just they all look at me like they know me. I know, it's ridiculous because they've all known me since childhood, but it's just the way they all have this knowing look. And when I saw Jacob, they all flipped like they knew exactly how I was feeling.

Seth noticed my strained face and said "- but if you don't want to be around them, we don' t have to. I just wanna kick it with you today, for old time's sake."

"No, no, it's fine. I don't care if your friends will be there. Let me wash up and grab something to eat real quick and we'll leave, okay?"

"Sounds good," he grinned. He got up to leave and turned before stepping out, "I'm really glad you're back, Lee. We missed you so much."

I smiled to myself as he walked away. Seth was such a good brother. He's the brother every girl wants. Sweet, loving, protective, _positive_. Why couldn't I be as optimistic as he was? Well, I suppose one of the siblings has to take the ominous role.

I bounded off my bed and jumped into the shower. I turned on the hot water but for some reason, it just wasn't doing it for me. Normally hot water relaxes me. Not today. I turned the knob and tested the cold water. It felt amazing. Yeah, I know. Who takes a freezing cold shower in the morning? But hey, if it feels good, let it be. The coolness of the water did wonders for me. Not only did I feel extremely relaxed, I literally felt the contrast of the heat of my surprisingly hot temperature collide with the cold water. I closed my eyes and let my thoughts drift off to yesterday.

I thought back to how weird Jacob was being. The way he was looking at me! I mean, I know Jacob used to have a minor crush on me when we were younger, but he grew out of it and got the hots for Bella – not that there's anything wrong with the girl, she's just really fucking clumsy. I can't stand clumsy. Anyway, it was nothing but a childhood crush, but the way he was looking at me yesterday shook every nerve in my body. I had this uncontrollable urge to be near him and it scared me. Although, I guess that part isn't as scary as hearing the growling of an animal in my head, begging me to go near him. To touch him.

I snapped my eyes open and shook my head in attempt to clear it of all thoughts. I turned the shower off and quickly left the bathroom to get dressed. I was downstairs in a second, greeted by Seth and my dad.

"Morning, dad," I said, taking a seat across from him.

"Morning, princess," he smiled, he lifted a piece of bacon and waved it at me. "Hungry?"

"Well I kind of, but I just brushed my teeth and everything's gonna taste gross," I scrunched up my face.

"Doesn't stop me from eating," Seth said with a mouthful of food.

"Do you even chew?" I asked, my eyes widening. No wonder he was so huge!

He swallowed his food and gulped down the rest of his milk and grinned. "Of course I chew! Ready to go?"

"Where are you two headed?" my dad asked, eyeing us with curiosity. "Please don't do get into trouble today."

"Please," I scoffed. "What's the worst we could do? Name one horrible thing we've done."

Me and my big goddamn mouth. Seth and I have done enough stupid shit in the past to earn us both life-time cells in prison. It's a good thing dad's friend is a cop, otherwise Seth and I would've been screwed a long time ago.

"Let's see," my dad said, setting his fork down. This should be interesting. "You two nearly burned our house down."

Okay, yeah. But in my defense, I was 7 and convinced that Seth – who was pretending to be squirttle (the Pokemon) at the time – would actually put out the fire with his water-gun attack. I know, we were a couple of fucktards. Also, I'm sure every kid almost accidentally burns their house down anyway. Doesn't really count.

Seth was cracking up.

"Twice, actually." My dad was shaking his head as he thought back to a memory.

Okay. So maybe nearly burning your house down twice isn't exactly the greatest thing to do with your little brother. I don't really remember why we accidentally set it on fire the second time, to be honest.

"Oh and don't forget Billy's house," he added, smirking.

Oh geez! Mom and Sarah nearly killed me, Seth, Rachel, Rebecca, and Jacob for nearly burning down the Black house. I don't think I ever ran so fast in my life when I saw my mom coming at us with a broom in hand.

"I didn't say to remind me of our criminal record, dad," I groaned.

"Wait – I think I'm missing one…..thousand more," he laughed, grinning hard at mine and Seth's blank stares. "I'm just kidding, you two! You're not criminals, you just have a harder time learning right from wrong than most kids."

My dad is _hilarious._

"I think I've been offended by you enough today. We're gonna bounce," I joked, shaking my head in mock pain. "See you later, old man."

"Be careful – both of you!"

"Let's go to the beach-each!" Seth sang, attempting to sound like Nicki Minaj, as we walked down the road.

I just stared at him. A 6-foot guy just sang a line from a Nicki Minaj song. I don't know what's worse, that my little brother listens to Nicki Minaj or that I recognize her lyrics.

"What?" he asked, looking confused.

"How are we even related?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

* * *

"So how's it feel to be back?" Paul asked me, taking a huge bite of his hot-dog.

He, along with Jared, were already on the beach – _swimming_ of all things – when Seth and I got there. They were shirtless and didn't even seem bothered by the freezing cold water and cool wind.

"Fine, I guess," I shrugged. "Nothing's really changed since I left." Except for the fact that you and what looks like the rest of the male population of La Push have matching tattoos and are all over 6-feet all.

"Did you miss it here when you were away?"

Hell no! "Yeah. For sure."

"Well, welcome back," Jared said, throwing me a small, genuine smile.

"Thanks. So, uh, are we just gonna sit here all day or can we actually do something?" I asked, bumping my shoulder against Seth.

"We will in a minute," he laughed, but he looked annoyed. "We're just waiting on someone."

"Who?"

Paul and Jared smirked. Seth exhaled sharply and said in a flat tone, "Jake."

"Oh." As hard as I tried, I couldn't keep my lips from shifting up into a small, stupid smile.

I don't want to see Jacob. Not now. He makes me feel all these weird things that leave me dazed and confused. I seriously cannot think properly around him because I always hear that animal in my head. I don't want to have to face him and act like an idiot. Jesus, I wonder how stupid I looked when I was gaping at him yesterday. _God!_ I probably looked like the world's biggest moron.

And what about _him?_ His eyes were so intense I couldn't tear my eyes away from them. When he looked at me, it was almost like he was looking into the deepest depths of my soul – yes, I'm aware I sound like a huge cheese-ball for saying that, but it's true! He just…I don't know, it's just something I've never experienced before and I don't know whether I want feel that way again or not. Despite how utterly confusing it was to feel such a draw to him, I can't escape the fact that it felt really fucking good to be near him. I mean, when he hugged me – I don't think I felt so _alive. _

Don't even get me started on the weird growling noises he was making. For some reason, I found the sound to be so sexy. Don't get me wrong, I'm not into bestiality, it's just that sound….it sounded just like the growling voice in my head, just a more deep and masculine.

"Sorry for keep you all waiting." Speak of the devil.

"'Sup, Jake?" Paul shooting a cat-like grin to Jacob and unsubtly nodding his head in my direction.

"Sup," Jacob nodded, not even looking at him. He was looking directly at me with a smile on his face. And there goes the growling sound in my head again. I think I need to get my head examined or something because this just can't be normal. Everyone has a human voice as a conscious and I have an animal. Why can't I be normal?

"Hey, Leah," he said in a husky voice. He took a seat right next to me.

"Hi, Jake," I said, trying to keep my voice from sounding too enthusiastic.

Come on, Leah. Get a grip!

"What's up?"

"I was hoping you all could tell me," I said, meeting his eyes. "Seth said we were gonna do something but we had to wait for you."

"We should go now," Seth said, getting to his feet.

"Where are we going?" I asked, following Seth. Jacob was immediately standing by my side. I smiled to myself.

"You'll see," Seth grinned.

My phone decided to make its presence known by blaring lyrics from an Ed Sheeran song. I snatched my phone from out of my jacket pocket and grinned when I saw the name on the caller ID.

Edward.

"Edster!" I laughed, as I answered the phone.

"Hello, Leah," he laughed his usual musical laugh. I noticed Jacob, Seth, Paul, and Jared, all tense at the sound of the voice on the other line.

"Hey, hold on for a minute, kay? Don't hang up," I said into the phone.

"Of course."

"Hey, uh – I'm gonna take this real quick," I said to the four who now had dark looks on their faces. I gave them all a quizzical look and stepped walked a couple of feet away from where they were.

"Okay, I'm back! Holy crap, I miss you Edster! How are you?" I was squealing like a little freaking girl but I couldn't help it. I haven't heard from any of the Cullens since I told them I was coming back home.

He was laughing. "I'm doing great, I miss you too. I'm just calling to check in on you."

"Still worried about my safety?" I asked mockingly.

"With your blood, I doubt any vampire will go near you," he was laughed. I heard the booming sound of Emmett's laugher in the background.

"Funny," I said flatly. "Did you call just to insult me?"

"No," he chuckled. "I actually wanted to invite you over to dinner. We all miss you – especially my sisters."

"Tell them I miss you too," I smiled.

"Will do. So will you come?"

"Duh!" I practically screeched. "I haven't seen you all in forever!"

"Fantastic! How's tomorrow at 8 sound?" he asked.

"Sounds perfect! Just text me the address."

"Of course – "

"LEAH!" Emmett bellowed into the phone, cutting Edward completely off.

"Heeeey!" I squealed, laughing hysterically at how excited and childish he sounded.

"I miss you, Sacajawea!" Sacajawea. I tried to set him on fire the first time he called me that but gave up when I could catch him. From that day on, that became my permanent nickname from him and I gave up trying to kill him.

"I miss you too, Shrek!" And that was my nickname from him. He was not happy about the name, so naturally, I never stopped calling him that.

"Do me a favor, will you?" he asked.

I was feeling generous today, so I grinned and said, "Okay, shoot."

"Wear something sexy to dinner tomorrow." I heard Jasper's voice in the background saying _"I hope she sets you on fire tomorrow."_

"Kill yourself, Em," I said in a flat tone before hanging up.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket and jogged back to the guys. They were whispering furiously to each other.

"Uh…hey, ready to go?" I asked slowly.

"Who was that on the phone?" Seth asked. He, and the others were tensed and had hard looks on their faces. But none of them looked as bad as Jacob. He looked _furious. _

"You alright, Jake?" I asked, cautiously taking a step toward him. His eyes narrowed at me.

"Who were you talking to?" he asked rather harshly.

"Some friends of mine," I said, taken aback at his tone.

"Who are they?"

I saw their ears literally twitch and their eyes focus intently on me.

"Well?" Jacob pushed, sounding even angrier at my silence. I looked to Seth and nearly backtracked at the stern look he was giving me.

Were they always like this? Happy-go-lucky one minute and pissed-off the next? Why was it so important to them to know who I was talking to? It wasn't any of their business. Of course if I would have told them I was talking to a Cullen, they'd freak out because we grew up hating the Cullens because of some legend.

"If you guys are going to be assholes to me and treat me like some little kid, think again." I turned on my heels and stalked back home.

I was a good fifty feet away when I heard _him_ calling my name. Had he been following me this whole time?

"Leah, wait," he said, coming to a stop beside me.

"What?" I asked flatly, trying my absolute hardest to ignore the welcoming feeling of his presence.

"Look, I didn't mean to snap at you like that," he explained. I shifted my eyes to him and saw the sincerity and regret on his face.

"Is it that big of a deal who I talk to?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"No – well yeah, yeah it is. Listen, I know you just got here but things aren't the same around here as they used to be."

"What do you mean?" I stopped walking and looked at him curiously.

He looked troubled, like he was stumbling over how to answer me. "It's just not safe. People have been going missing here the past couple of months."

"What does this have anything to do with me being on the phone with my friends?" I crossed my arms and raised a questioning brow at him.

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just taking precautions, you never know who could be a threat. I don't want anything to happen to you…."

My face softened and I smiled, "That's really sweet, Jake. But nothing's gonna happen to me, not with all of you here. You guys all look way too intimidating to challenge. As long as I'm seen with any of you, I'm sure I'll be safe from any danger."

"Oh, I can guarantee no one on the Rez will lay a finger on you if you're seen with any of us," he said seriously.

"I know," I laughed. I could already feel my anger toward him and the guys disappearing. "So are you still mad at me?"

"I wasn't mad at you, Lee," he said quietly, "Just worried."

I rolled my eyes, he was starting to remind me of Edward and his incessant worrying.

"Come on," I said, grabbing a hold of his arm. My eyes nearly bugged out at how hot his skin was. I knew enough about humans to know that being this hot was not normal. Or safe.

"Holy shit, Jake! You're hot!"

He barked out a laugh and threw an arm around my shoulder. "I know."

"Don't get a big head, I was talking about your temperature. Are you sick?"

"Nah, I'm fine," he chuckled. He pulled me closer to him, making me feel safe and completely at ease. The growling in my head quieted to a satisfied pur. "I just run a little warmer than others. No big deal."

"If you say so," I said, not really believing him. "So what now?"

"How 'bout some food?" He asked. "I know a good place, if you want to go…."

"That sounds great!" I said, sounding a little too excited. I wanted to slap myself. "I haven't ate at all today."

"I know." He was looking at me with those eyes again. When I turned to look at him, he smiled and turned to face the road ahead.

* * *

**a/n**: So I had a little trouble writing this chapter because I didn't want Leah to make it obvious she was talking to the Cullens - but at the same time give enough subtle hints to give the wolves a hunch. Oh! And I actually don't have any problem with Nicki Minaj and her music - actually, I find her music to be quite catchy, LOL. If any of you get the chance, you should check out Ed Sheeran, he's a pretty good artist and I really enjoy his music :) Also, I usually always proof-read my chapters before I post them but sometimes miss a few things. So let me know if there any typos blaring in your face lol. And finally, please, please, review! =)


	5. Chapter 5

**LPOV**

"It's just dinner, Leah," Seth complained, as I threw another potential dress into his arms.

"I don't care. I don't want to show up looking like crap," I said, examining the pile in his arms.

That's a huge lie. I actually wouldn't mind showing up to the Cullen's house in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, but _Alice_ would murder me. I can bet my life-savings that she already has a whole outfit, shoes, makeup and hair styling products laid out on a bed for me just in case I show up looking like a bum. Well, _that,_ and Rosalie also texted me last night telling me to wear something sexy because the Cullens wanted to have a night out in Seattle. So of course I'm down to do that!

"Here," I said, grabbing the pile from him. "I'll take those."

I stepped into the fitting room and started separating the pile of dresses from "would wear" or "probably wouldn't wear." The "would wear" pile consisted of only 3 dresses and I didn't know which one to go with. I tried them each on and it still didn't help me make a decision. There is only one way to solve this dilemma. I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.

"I was wondering why my mind was starting to go a little blurry!" Alice laughed. "I should've known it was you!"

"The one and only," I laughed into the phone. Alice always took the chance to remind me that she couldn't see the future clearly when I was involved. Emmett and I used to purposely mess with her back in Alaska, it was _hilarious! _Even Jasper found it amusing!

"What can I help you with?" she chirped happily.

"I kind of need some fashion advice," I said quietly. Man, she was going to have a field day!

"You called the right person!" she practically screamed into the phone. I had to jerk my head away from the phone a couple of feet just to stop the ringing in my ears.

"Damn, can you be any louder? I can hear you just fine!" I growled.

"Sorry!" she laughed. _Laughed!_ "I'm just happy you're finally coming to me instead of me having to force you!"

"I'm stuck between three dresses to wear tonight and I don't know which one to wear," I said, looking at the dresses longingly. Sure, they were a little short for the Washington weather but I had nice, long legs that would go perfectly with it, so why not?

"Send me pictures of each of them! Now! Bye!" And then she hung up.

I shoved the phone back into my pocket smiling at how over-enthusiastic my vampire friend was over petty things such as clothes.

I took 3 quick snapshots of each dress and sent them to Alice. A phone call from her came not even 10 seconds after I sent the pictures.

"Well what do you think?" I asked.

"It's too bad you can't wear them all at once, they're all really good dresses," she said sadly. "But I'd go with the little black dress, you can't go wrong with one of those." I could just picture her winking at the end of that sentence.

"Got it, thanks!"

"Oh, and wear those shoes that make you like 10 feet tall!" She laughed.

"Will do, Tink, see you tonight!" I laughed. I only seemed 10-feet tall because she was only a mere 5'0. The shoes she's referring to make me about adds about 5 inches to my 5'7" height, which would normally make me feel insecure because I'm towering basically over every other girl. But with Rosalie being 5'9" and rocking 5-inch heels all the damn time, I could care less.

"Bye, Lee!"

"Bye."

I picked all of the dresses up and placed them on the racks outside the fitting room. Except for the little black one, of course.

"Took you long enough," Seth said, sounding exasperated. "Who was that on the phone?"

"A friend of mine."

"Still not gonna give me any names?" he asked, sounding a bit dejected.

"Not yet," I smiled, linking my arms through his. "Good news. I found one."

"_That one?"_ Seth asked with wide eyes. "You can't wear that!"

"Why not?" Well that was kind of offensive.

"That barely covers anything, Lee," he groaned. "Couldn't you pick a floor-length, long-sleeved, turtle-necked dress instead?"

"That sounds horrendous, Seth. Why the hell would I wear something like that?" God. The first thing that came to mind were those dresses the Amish women wear! I can't wear that! Alice would crucify me!

"Because the weather is freezing for people like you!" Seth huffed, glaring daggers at the dress in my arms.

"What do you mean people like me?" I asked, scowling at him.

His eyes widened and he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, before he settled on shaking his head and sighing in defeat. "Nothing. I didn't mean anything by that. You're next in line."

* * *

I spent a good 3 hours getting ready for my dinner with the Cullens. Most of that time was spent trying to get my hair to curl the way Alice made it. I went for loose waves. I did my makeup, nothing to dramatic. Some eyeliner, some eye shadow, and mascara. The heels Alice suggested were already firmly sealed around my feet. I was ready to go. The only thing is I can hear more a lot of voices down stairs. Not good. I don't want to go downstairs and have everyone stare bewildered at me for wearing such an outfit in this dreadful weather.

Whatever. "Go hard or go home!" That was Emmett's motto, he used to chant it all the time and it unfortunately stuck on me.

I descended down the stairs and heard a gasp, followed by a wolf-whistle and a growl. I lifted my eyes off the floor and found Seth, Samuel, Jacob, and Jared gaping at me.

What the hell is Samuel doing here? Why does it seem like he's always here? Why haven't my parents or my brother done anything to get rid of him? Why are they all shirtless? Whatthefuck.

"Uh, hi…." I said.

"Leah…." Jacob breathed, moving closer to me. He had a far-away look in his eyes, like he was in a daze. "You're so beautiful."

And there goes my blood rushing directly to my cheeks where it's visible for everyone in the room to see. Since when does Jacob make me blush? It used to be the other way around! I actually felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach just by the way he was looking at me. When was the last time I felt _that?_

"Thanks, Jake," I said stupidly, smiling like an idiot.

"When will you be back?" Seth asked with a worried look on his face.

"I don't know. Late. Don't wait up."

"Okay," he nodded, but was looking at Jacob.

"Where are mom and dad?"

"Dad went fishing and mom's grocery shopping. I still hate your dress, by the way."

"I think it's great," Jared piped up, grinning. I grinned back. Jacob made that animalistic sound again and wrapped and arm around my waist. He pulled me tightly against him and I felt like I was in the safest place in the whole world.

Jared snorted and clapped Seth on the back.

"You look great, Lee-Leah," Sam said. He had a pained look on his face. Weird.

"Cool. Well, it's nearly 8, so I gotta get going! Be back later!" I gave Jacob a quick, tight hug, just because I wanted to be wrapped in his scent just one more time. I ruffled Seth's hair and bounded out the door with my keys in hand.

"I can give you a lift if you want," Jacob said, sounding hopeful.

"Nah, I got it. Thanks though," I grinned, before hopping into the car and speeding down the highway.

I looked at the address Edward texted me and realized this guy lived in the middle of the forest. Typical. Why would a coven of vampires live in a normal neighborhood? No, a better question is why would they invite me over for dinner if they don't eat? I wonder if they're just going to watch me eat the whole time. I freaking hope not! That would be beyond awkward – I would probably just fake not being hungry….but then Edward would be able to call me out on my lie….and so would Jasper…..Damn those guys with their freaky vampy powers!

I was almost in Forks, which means one of them will show up any minute – "Hey, Sacajawea!"

"Emmett!" I screamed, stomping on the brakes. Thank GOD no one was driving behind me! That would have been a bad accident. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

The guy was literally running next to my car at ease with the biggest grin stretched across his face. Anyone would have reacted the same way I did. It's not every day you see something like that.

"I had to get your attention somehow," he said laughing. He got into the passenger's seat and guided me to his "house." The place was even bigger than their mansion in Alaska. These vamps were _loaded!_

"Did you get a dog?" Emmett asked, sniffing me and the seats in my car.

"What? No, why?" I asked, giving him a 'what-the-hell' look.

"Just wondering," he shrugged. He was giving me a weird look. "Welcome to our home!"

Before I was even able to put the car park, Emmett had me in his arms giving me a bone-crushing hug. He was spinning around me wildly and laughing, declaring how he missed having a partner-in-crime. The rest of the Cullens were outside in an instant passing me around like a doll, each of them giving me tight hugs. All but one.

"Where's Edward?"

"Right here," Edward said, smiling that stupid crooked smile that was admittedly cute. He had a very timid-looking Bella Swan on his arm.

_Do you think she'll be able to stand on her own long enough for you to get your sparkly butt over here and give me a big hug like you owe me?_

I smirked at him as he gave me a stern look. His face eventually broke into a big smile and he flashed in front of me, engulfing me in his arms.

"I missed you so much!" he laughed loudly, holding me tightly against him.

"I bet you did," I teased. "I missed you too, BFF!" Don't even get me started on how I started talking in acronyms to Edward. I'll save that story for another time.

"We have lots to catch up on," he said, releasing his hold on me. I saw him make eye-contact with Emmett and nod.

"Hell yeah we do," I said. _Things are kind of weird at home. I kind of need your help._

"Not a problem, Lee," he smiled and turned and gestured to Bella. "You've met Bella before."

"'Sup, Bella? Long time no see," I said, extending a hand. She just gaped at me then at Edward.

"You know about them?" she asked.

"Yeah," I laughed. "Funny story actually. Long, but hilarious as hell. I'm sure Edward will tell you." Because I don't have time to.

"Oh, of course," she smiled, blushing. "It's nice to see you again, Leah. You look great."

"Likewise, Swan," I grinned. I left the love-dovey couple and followed the rest of the Cullens to the dining hall.

"So what are we having tonight?" I grinned, taking a seat across from Edward. "Cougar? Lion? Grizzly bear?"

Bella's eyes were as big as plates and her jaw was on the ground. The rest of the Cullens laughed good-heartedly at my usual jab at their nature. Emmett's laugh was the loudest. As usual.

"Sorry to disappoint, but we've already ate. Looks like you and Bella will have to be forced to eat normal food," Edward joked.

Bella whipped her head around to face Edward so fast it was a wonder how it didn't snap off. She looked shocked to see Edward let loose and joke. If only she knew how funny her man was.

"Damn," I said in mock disappointment, "I was hoping I'd be feasting on Bambi…..or thumper."

"Aww, do you have to use Disney characters? They're so cute and innocent," Alice whined.

"Cruella DeVille?" I asked, mimicking her tone. She stuck her tongue out at me and I winked in response.

"No but really, what are we having? I'm starving!"

"I made a bit of everything," Esme smiled warmly at me, "I wasn't sure what you were in the mood for so I made enough to feed a nation."

"Oh my gahhhd, Esme," I nearly drooled. "You're the best, thank you!"

"No, _thank you!_ Having you and Bella over gives me the chance to actually use the kitchen."

"Well in that case, you can expect to see my face around here a lot more," I joked.

"We'd love that!" Carlisle beamed. Man, this guy is just too nice. I need to hear him swear, at least once!

* * *

"Seriously, Bella, you should change into something a little more slutty," I said, eyeing her knee-length, loose dress, in disdain. I was starting to feel like Alice and that's horrifying!

"She doesn't need to wear anything revealing if she doesn't want to," Edward growled, shielding Bella's body from the rest of us. I rolled my eyes. _Will she at least dance?_

He shook his head.

_Will she drink?_

Another no.

_Does she do _anything?

That earned me a glare and I laughed. Messing with Edward was almost as fun as messing with Jasper's emotions. But Jasper's actually on the dance floor dancing his ass off, along with Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett.

"Well I give up. I'm gonna hit the floor." I turned on my heel and joined the rest of the Cullens dancing smoothly to "Feel So Close" by Calvin Harris. [**a/n**: italics in quotes are lyrics.]

"_I feel so close to you right now."_

I swayed my hips to the rhythm of the music and grinned at Alice, who winked at me and threw her arms around Jaspers neck.

"_It's a force field."_

I turned and saw Rosalie and Emmett swaying to the music just like I was, except they literally looked like they were about to jump each other right here on the dance floor.

"_I wear my heart upon my sleeve like a big deal."_

I felt two cold arms snake around my waist and sway to the music with me. I knew who it was instantly. He grabbed my hand and spun me around to face him. He was grinning. I smirked at him.

"Couldn't resist?"

"_You're love pours down on me, surrounds me like a waterfall."_

I put my arms around his neck and closed my eyes, feeling the music. This shit was good. I was really digging it! Techno-y, but good. It works for the club. And apparently it's good enough for Edward to get up on the dance floor as well.

"I invited you, I had to at least get one dance in," he said through the blaring music.

"_And there's no stopping us right now."_

I looked him directly in the eyes and grinned. He was a smooth dancer, anyone with eyes could see that. All the vampires were, to be honest. They made dancing to club music look elegant and seductive at the same time! He was smiling widely at me.

"How about we do our catching up now?"

"_I feel so close to you right now."_

I threw my head back and my arms were in the air dancing to the quickened pace of the music. Edward was in front of me, with his arms around my waist again, grinning and dancing.

"What? Here?"

"Here," he nodded.

"Just read my mind while I dance," I said, moving my hips wildly in tune with the rhythm.

"I know everything, but I'd like to hear how it from you."

"But I'm dancing," I whined. I stopped dancing and pouted. Yes, pouted. He ruined a good moment, of course I can pout!

He laughed. "Come on, Leah." He led be back to our seats, who were currently being guarded by wide-eyed Bella.

"Fine. I need to vent about my family keeping secrets from me and my brother joining Samuel's cult."

Edward gave me a sympathetic look before taking a seat next to me.

"What? That's it? You're not even going to ask me why things are weird around La Push?"

"No," he shook his head. "Not my business."

"You know something," I narrowed my eyes at him. Edward never kept secrets from me. He was always honest with me and I with him. Secrecy and lies were never a part of our friendship.

"Yes, I do. But it really isn't my secret to tell, Lee," he sounded frustrated. He threw a look at Bella who sat frozen in place with a scared look on her face.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean if anyone should be telling you anything, it's them. You're right, they're hiding something from you – all of them. But I can't be the one to tell you, they have to."

"But why?" I was close to begging. I needed answers. I didn't want to live on a Rez where everyone knew something I didn't.

"It's the honorable thing to do, Leah," he smiled sadly. Bella let out an audible breath of relief.

"What if they don't tell me?"

"Then they're all idiots," Rosalie snorted, taking a seat beside me.

"Trust me," Emmett said, taking the open seat next to Edward, "When you get back, you'll find out real soon."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you smell like us," Emmett winked. "Now let's get going, it's almost past your curfew!"

* * *

**a/n**: Hey readers! What'd you think of this chapter? Please review and let me know your thoughts! Also, if any of you were wondering about the dress Leah work in this chapter, I have a link for you all to see the little black dress: ?BR=f21&Category=dress_little-black-dresses&ProductID=2025101108&VariantID=


	6. Chapter 6

**LPOV**

"Why can't you just tell me?" Seth whined, giving me the best puppy-dog look he could muster.

"Why can't you just give up?" I asked, mimicking his tone.

"You had us worried to death!" He said, giving me a stern look.

"I told you I was gonna be home late."

I did. In fact, I told him right before I left the house last night to not wait up for me because I was most likely going to be home super late.

"Why can't you just tell me where you were last night and who you were with? Do you not trust me or something?" Seth looked hurt. He had a slight frown on his face that made me want to hug him tightly and tell him everything. But I can't because even if I do trust Seth, he apparently doesn't trust me enough to give me an explanation of all the weird shit going on.

"I do trust you," I said. He smiled. "But you already know everything about me. Hell, the whole Rez basically knows everything about me. I'd like to have at least one secret to myself. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

He looked torn. Seth knew a thing or two about the Rez knowing everybody's business and he did not like it one bit. I love my baby brother and would love more than anything to tell him of the wonderful friendship I have with the Cullens but how can I when he can't trust me with whatever it is he's hiding?

"I'm just worried about you, Leah," he sighed, running his hand through his now short hair.

"I'm fine, baby bro," I laughed, ruffling his hair.

"It's not funny, Lee. Things are different around here, it's no –" I cut him off.

"Not safe anymore? Sorry Sethy, but Jake's already beat you to the "danger" speech. I got it."

"Of course he did," he snorted, rolling his eyes. I quirked an eyebrow at him, wondering why he had a sort of resentment toward Jacob lately. I thought they were best friends.

"You and Jake got beef or something?" I asked.

"What? No, why?" he asked looking truly confused.

"Whenever he's mentioned in a conversation you sort of have this annoyed look on your face," I said, shrugging.

"Oh." He was staring up at the ceiling. "Nah, me and Jake are cool. He's still my best homie, but like any good friend, pissing me off has become his favorite sport."

I laughed. _That _I could understand. Rachel, Rebecca, and I had a relationship like that. I was usually in the middle as the twins fought over me like a ragdoll, but it was all in good fun. I would piss off Rachel, she in turn, would retaliate with that sharp tongue of hers. Then I would get pissed at whatever comment escaped her lips, and take my frustration out on Rebecca. Then she'd say something snarky to Rachel, then to me, and then the process would repeat again until one of us busted out in laughter. Rebecca was always the first. I was always good at managing a good poker face.

Then there's Alice and Edward. I can't really do much to piss off Rose, Emmett, or Jasper because they're all quick to respond with good comebacks. Alice and Edward, however, were very easy to anger because they always got so offended so easily!

"So you're really not gonna tell me who you were with last night?" Seth asked with sad eyes.

"Sorry, lil' bro. I will someday, just not now." I smiled sadly at him. I really do wish I could tell him now, but it's just not fair.

At first it was just a hunch, I wasn't entirely sure if I was just overacting or if I was really onto something. Then I had that talk with Edward at the club and he, along with Rose and Emmett basically told me that if they weren't a bunch of honorable vampires, they would let me in on the secrecy crap on the Rez. But then Emmett said something that didn't really seem like much at the time, but now that I'm think back at it, it's confusing as hell. He said I'd find out real soon once I got back because I smell like them. But why would it matter if I smelled like them? And how the hell would everyone else be able to smell the Cullens' scent on me? People don't normally just sniff out vampire stench. God, Emmett is confusing.

I remember taking a few shots before we left the club. Edward, I remember, was totally against my underage drinking, but of course I had all the encouragement in the world from Emmett. I asked him and Jasper, who looked out of it, when the last time they were drunk.

"_We still can get drunk. Well, sort of," Jasper drawled, smiling at me._

"_Really?" I asked with wide eyes. I was already feeling tipsy from the numerous shots I was downing. "How?"_

"_You drink the blood of a human that's already drunk," he said. His eyes, I noticed, were black._

"_Looks like someone's hungryyyy!" I sing-songed, grinning and pointing at Jasper's eyes. Emmett let out a booming laugh and clapped Jasper on the shoulder. I remember seeing Edward pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. Alice kindly ushered Jasper out of the club, offering words of encouragement._

"_I wish you were drunk all the time, Leah, you're hilarious!" Emmett laughed._

And that's about all I remember. I don't even remember coming home or getting into bed. If I was drunk enough not to remember the rest of my night, how the hell did I manage to get in my bed? No. How the hell did I manage to get up the stairs without tripping and dying?

The weirdest part is that I didn't even have a killer hangover like I thought I would. I felt fantastic, minus the not-remembering-anything part. It's like I didn't even drink at all!

Okay no, I lied. The ultimate weirdest part is when I walked down the stairs to grab some breakfast and basically found Samuel and his clones all sprawled around my living room fast asleep. They were so filthy! Some of them literally had mud on their feet and hands – it was gross. But that's beside the point; I didn't understand why the hell they were all here asleep in my living room.

I ended up bringing my breakfast up to my room and falling back to sleep only to be woken up by a worried-looking Seth. By that time, he had already cleared the men in the living room out of the house so he could spend some quality time with me. And that leads me to where I am now, sitting on the couch next to him, _talking._

"It's fine, Lee," he sighed deeply. "I understand. You have no idea how much I understand."

"Cool! So you wanna tell me how I managed to get up the stairs and into my bed last night?"

His face noticeably darkened and I could have sworn I heard an animalistic growl coming from him. His body tensed and started to shake violently, just like he did the day I got home.

"Seth, holy shit, what's wrong?!" I yelled hysterically. I put an arm on him and recoiled at how hot his skin felt. It felt just as hot as Jacob's.

"Leah, stay back," he said in a strained voice. He stood up to leave and I followed suit.

"Leah," he growled. I jumped back at the bark in his tone. "Stay back! _Please."_

"But Seth –" he cut me off.

"I'm begging you, just stay back. Let me catch my breath," he said. He closed his eyes took slow, deep breaths. Soon enough the shaking stopped and he was back to normal.

"Sorry about that," he smiled sheepishly, "I just sort of lose it when I get angry."

"You 'sort of lose it'?" I repeated in a patronizing tone. "What the hell was that? That was terrifying!"

"Just some temperament issues," he said, shrugging. "Kind of lost it when you brought up the subject of you coming home."

Again, his expression darkened, but he looked like he was fighting the urge to start shaking like a maniac again.

"Why would that be a temperament issue for you?" I asked, cocking my head to the side to study him.

"Long story."

"I've got time," I challenged, crossing my arms.

I heard him mutter something incoherent under his breath before answering me loudly: "Now's not the time. I'll fill you in later. I gotta bounce."

"Where are you going?" I asked worriedly.

"It's a secret, sister dear," he laughed before closing the door behind him.

**Seth's POV**

I couldn't stay with her for another minute. A minute longer and I would have told her everything – alpha command or not. Okay, no, so I actually wouldn't be able to tell her with the command hovering over me, but I would have started to give her hints just to clue her in on our world. At first I didn't want Leah to get sucked into our world because of all the baggage that came along with it. My sister deserved more than this, she didn't deserve to be stuck on the Rez because of our world. But of course, fate had to screw with her _again_ and have Jacob, of all people, imprint on her. I was really angry when Jake imprinted on my sister because I just got her back and I didn't want her to be put under some wolfy claim. And now she really was chained to the Rez. My anger over Jake imprinting over Leah, however, quickly dissolved once she came home last night smelling like _them._

I remember it so clearly…..

"_I hear a car pulling up," I said, leaping off the sofa to look out the window._

_Sam and Jacob perked their heads up and watched my facial expression go from confused, to relieved, to annoyed._

_It was a taxi cab. The cab driver got out of the car and opened one of the back doors and gently pulled out my super drunk sister. Once she was out of the cab, the driver ran back to his seat, and sped away. _

_I watched stupidly as Leah stumbled over her own feet, making her way to the front door. The room fell silent when we heard the rattling of the door knob. We all eyed the door, waiting for the door to swing open and reveal a drunk Leah._

_What we didn't expect was the overwhelming stench of vampire that stung our noses when she swung the door open. She had on a lopsided grin and had a far-away look on her face, like she was in a trance._

_The whole pack was on their feet growling and alert. She was drunk and smelled like a vampire. Who knows what could have happened to her?_

"_Leah," I said, pulling her arm over my shoulder and holding her waist to steady her. "Where the hell were you?"_

"_We had a night out," she said happily._

"_Who's we?" Jacob asked worriedly. He looked so dejected._

"_Me and my friends, silly!" she laughed, playfully slapping him on the arm. Paul snorted._

"_Who are your friends?" I asked._

"_Can't tell you," she said, grinning._

"_Why not?" Sam asked, taking a cautious step toward her. Jacob growled warningly at him and he stopped moving any closer._

"_Because it's a secret!" she said, putting an index finger to her lips. "shhhh!"_

"_Come on, Lee, you can tell us your secret," Jake urged, holding her hand in his and bringing up to his lips._

"_You're so sweet, Jake," she giggled, throwing herself into Jacob's arms. His face relaxed slightly but it soon vanished when he took a good, big, whiff of the stench all over her._

"_Leah," he said in a strained voice. "Who are your friends?"_

"_I can't tell you my secret because you won't tell me yours," she pouted, looking up at Jake through her lashes. I wanted to gag. I did not want to see my sister that close to any guy! That's disgusting!_

I wasn't aware that she had caught on so quickly. That we made it so obvious that we were hiding something. Then again I suppose the fact that a whole bunch of us basically follow around Sam and do what he says, it could raise a few questions. Leah always has been an observant person. It was stupid to think we could hide something from her and have her not figure out that something sketchy was going on. Leah's smarter than that.

Last night, though, was nerve-wracking because she smelled like vampire, wait no, _vampires._ Yes, plural. Yeah, all leeches smell the same, but each one of them have a certain stench to them that differentiates them from every other vampire. That's how we knew she was with more than one vampire last night. But why isn't she dead? Don't get me wrong, I prayed to every holy being last night and thanked them for bringing my sister home safely, I almost shed a tear. _Almost. _It's just weird that she was around so many blood-suckers last night and there was not one single scratch on her body. I thought maybe they were vegetarian vampires like the Cullens, but crossed that thought because I didn't know of any large group of leeches in the Washington area other than the Cullens.

Then there's another thing that bothered me and nearly kept me from getting any sleep last night. There was something so _familiar_ about the leechy smells on her. It's like I knew the scents.

Once Leah passed out on one of the couches, it was like a loose cannon was planted in the middle of my living room because questions, comments, and way too many obscenities were flying around the house. It's a wonder how neither of my parents managed to sleep through all the noise.

Sam wanted to shake her awake and demand answers. Jacob took a protective stance in front of her and dared Sam to lay a finger on her.

"_We have to know where she's been, Jacob!" Sam growled. "She drenched from head to toe in vampire stench!"_

"_Let her rest first," Jacob snapped, crossing his arms. "She's exhausted. Besides, do you really think she'll answer to _you?"

"_Okay, maybe she won't want to speak to me, but what makes you so sure that she'll want to talk to _you?"_ Sam challenged, leveling up to Jacob._

"_Right now really isn't the time for you two to be fighting over who my sister would rather talk to," I said, annoyed that neither of them could set aside their ego even in desperate times._

"_You're right," Sam sighed. "Maybe it's best if you talk to her Seth, you're the closest to her, she'll talk to you."_

"_I'm gonna crash here," Jacob said, gently brushing Leah's hair out of her face. The rest of the pack said they would too, just in case anything strange came up. Sam was watching Jacob with an annoyed look and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. _He_ should know that imprinting was something that couldn't be controlled. He had no right to be so judge-y about Jake and my sister._

"_I'm gonna take her up to her room," Jacob said quietly, already lifting her into his arms. "She'll be more comfortable on her bed."_

"_Fine. But if you try anything while she's unconscious, I'll kill you," I warned, narrowing my eyes at him._

"_I second that," Sam echoed._

"_I'm just gonna lay her on the goddamn bed, Seth," Jacob hissed, scowling at me. _

_As I watched him walk up the stairs with my sister cradled in his arms, I saw how gentle he was with her. How careful he was not to wake her, and how happy he looked to have her in his arms and so close to her. I didn't like that my sister was so abruptly brought into this supernatural world just from looking into Jacob's eyes. But…I trust the spirits. And I trust Jake. If Jake and Leah are "soul-mates," then I guess I should be happy for them because I know there is no way Jake would ever hurt my sister willingly. Jake's been one of my best friends for as long as I can remember, I know he would go out of his way to make Leah happy. So for that, I should at least give him a chance to prove himself. _

I was brought back from my reverie by the sound of my phone ringing.

"Wass good?" I answered into the phone. I didn't bother to look at the screen to check who was calling. Ever since I started to distance myself from my friends from school, no one but the pack, the elders, and my family, ever called me.

"Pack meeting. Sam's house. Now," Jared sounded bored, but serious at the same time.

"Got it. Be there in 5," I said, jogging in the direction of Sam's house. If I ran, I could maybe make it there in 3 minutes.

"Alright, see you soon. I gotta make a few more calls."

"Bye."

I decided to run. If I took my sweet time to get to a meeting, Sam would have me patrolling day in and day out.

"What's goin' on?" I asked, as I bounded through the front door. Everyone was already here with the exception of Quil, who was probably with Claire or was actually taking his sweet ass time.

"Jacob has something to say," Sam said, nodding his head toward Jacob, who looked tense.

All eyes turned to Jacob expectantly, mine included.

"The vampire scents on Leah last night…." He started slowly. Everyone tensed at that. "They smelled familiar to me. I knew they smelled familiar but I couldn't figure it out last night."

"I thought I was the only one who thought it smelled familiar," Paul added, looking thoughtful. "I just didn't say anything 'cause I didn't know if I was just trippin' balls."

I saw Jared and Embry nod in agreement. Sam had his brows furrowed and his lips set in a thin line.

"I knew the smells too," Sam said. "But who?"

"The Cullens," Jacob sneered, baring his teeth.

"That's ridiculous," Sam scoffed, shaking his head in disagreement.

Jacob glared at him. "No it's not. I know what they smell like. It's them."

The Cullens. That makes sense. Maybe that's why the scents smelled so familiar, because I've sniffed them out before. And Jacob, as we all know, has had more than one encounters with them in Forks over Bella. If anyone knew their scents, it would be Jacob.

"But why?" Sam asked. "Why were they with her? Why did she smell so strongly of them?"

Yeah. If Leah definitely could have passed as a leech smelling the way she did last night. It was so strong and covered practically every inch of her body. The only thing that told us otherwise was the sound of her beating heart and the fact that she had not a single scratch on her. She looked completely unharmed.

"That's what I wanna know," I said, putting my head in my hands.

A few days home and my sister is already stressing me out.

"There was one scent that was stronger than all the others," Paul said lowly, watching Jacob with cautious eyes.

"Yeah, I was just gonna bring that up," Jared nodded. "Jake, can you tell which scent belongs to who?"

Jacob nodded. "Unfortunately."

"Who's scent was the strongest?" Sam asked slowly, tense.

We all sat tensed and watched Jacob's expression turn to one of pure rage.

"Edward," he snarled, before flinging the T.V. remote across the room.

**a/n**: Hello my lovelies! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter =) It's December! Christmas is almost here! Eat lots of Christmas cookies! That's what I've been craving for the past three days and I haven't had any yet =/ Please excuse my obsession with food, lol. Anyway, please review and let me know what ya thought =)


	7. Chapter 7

**LPOV**

Things have quieted down a little since the night I hung out with the Cullens. Mom and Dad were quieter than usual and Seth outright avoided me like the plague. The only time he acknowledged me was to ask if I was alright and if I had any plans for the day. He barely spoke but the alert look he always had in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by me. It was like he was waiting for something, like he was expecting something. And he wasn't the only one. Samuel and his disciples would drop by every so often to "check up on the residence," but even then I saw how cautious they were, how they all would literally sniff the air.

Jacob was the worst. Not only would he sniff the air, but he would actually sniff _me. _He was like a puzzle I couldn't figure out and it was frustrating beyond belief because as hard as I try to deny it, I might actually like him. There's just this sense of rightness with him, like nothing can ever go wrong because everything is already in place. But lately….everything he said and did was guarded. Every time I refused to tell him who my friends were, his would drop and he would actually look like he was in pain. Denying him answers was starting to get more difficult the more he asked because the anguished look on his face would tear at my heart.

But I have to stay strong. As much as I would love to tell Jacob and my brother about my great friendship with the Cullens, I need to know that they trust me with whatever they're hiding too. I just don't understand. I've never been one for gossip and everyone knows that. So why do they all insist on hiding their painfully obvious secret from me? I mean, normally I could care less about a group of boys hiding something from me. But the fact that my parents, the whole council, was in on this secret was infuriating. And the fact that Cullens know exactly what I'm struggling with makes me even more curious to find out just what the hell I've missed while I was gone.

Sighing, I picked up my phone and scrolled through the missed class and unread text messages I received while I took a nap. 1 missed call, a voicemail, and 3 texts from Jacob, a missed call and voicemail from Seth, 2 texts from Samuel, and a missed call and text from Edward.

Edward's was the most recent, so I checked his message:

"_Would you like to hangout sometime this week, Leah? I do believe we both have much to catch up on, and the club wasn't a particularly brilliant spot to do that. What do you say?"_

I grinned. Hell yeah we had a lot to catch up on! For starters, I thought he left Alaska for Bella's funeral! I needed an explanation for that.

"_I'll be there. And please don't bring Bella, your girlfriend's kind of a weirdo."_

Samuel's name was next and deleted his messages, not bothering to read them. I don't know what possessed him to think I was okay with him just sending me text messages. Just because my parents can tolerate him being in our house whenever he damn feels like it, doesn't mean I am anywhere as welcoming. Why on earth would he even think for a second that I would even respond to a text from him, nonetheless two?

Seth's voicemail was next.

"_I bet you're asleep right now. You always were the one who could sleep through a warzone. Anyway, when you wake up and listen to this, I hope you're smiling 'cause you get to hear your awesome brothers sexy voice! Also, we're all gonna hit the beach tonight for a bonfire if you wanna join. You should come, Lee, it'll be fun. If you decide to join us, just give me a call and I'll come up and walk you. Bye, sis!"_

I chuckled and had to roll my eyes at the message. Seth was so full of himself! This was the first time in days that Seth has asked me to hang out, and since I actually do miss the little punk, I suppose I'll go. Even if that means Samuel and his clones will probably all be there. Then again, just because Samuel will be there doesn't mean I have to mope. I am Leah Clearwater and I am a strong woman. I will let no man get me down. If Edward were here, he would be encouraging me to have a good time and chastising me about feeling ill over the fact my ex will be there.

"He does not control you, Lee. Do not let him rule your life." That's what he would tell me. That's what he always told me, and each time he did, it was like a charge of energy that I needed to get me to realize that yes, Samuel doesn't run my life. He never has and he never will.

I went to Jacob's messages next. He sent me three different texts all at the same time.

"_I know it kind of sounds like it, but I swear I'm not some creep :/"_

That got me to laugh out loud. Jacob was so freaking cute it was ridiculous! No matter how stupid he thinks he sounds, it's the total opposite for me. The guy is sex on legs. He does things to me without even trying and it's completely mind-blowing that he can't even see that!

"_I sound retarded…. -_-"_

"_Don't even look at my other messages. Just please think about it, Leah. I miss you :)"_

I couldn't help the humungous grin that stretched across my face. He misses me. Why did that feel so damn good? Lots of people tell me they miss me and it doesn't get me feeling like this. It's just something about Jacob that makes me feel so good. He was here with me yesterday and he misses me already. That, at least makes me feel a little better about missing him the moment he left my house yesterday. At least now I know I'm not crazy for missing someone so quickly.

I pushed the play button and listened to his sexy, deep husky voice through the speaker:

"_Hey, Lee. Listen, the guys are thinking about having a bonfire on the beach tonight. I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to come? Well….actually I was wondering if you'd wanna head to the beach with me a little earlier before the rest of them show up….I kind of wanted to talk to you about something and well….I, uh, I really like spending time with you. We can talk about anything and walk along the beach – we can even watch the sunset! Anything you want, Leah. I'd really like to see you tonight, so please think about it. I miss you already."_

My stomach was filled with butterflies fluttering crazily like they were all hopped up on crack.

I was dialing his number unconsciously, anticipating the sound of his voice through the receiver.

"Hello?" he said huskily.

"Hey Jake!" I said a little too enthusiastically. I face-palmed myself. I don't want to sound like some desperate teeny bopper.

"Leah," he breathed. "What's up? Did you think about it?"

"Yeah, I did. I'd love to kick it with you beforehand, Jake."

I heard him blow out a gust of air in…relief? I don't know.

"Thank you," he said seriously.

"For what?"

"For agreeing to this."

"I like hanging out with you, Jake, it's not that big of a deal. So what time should I meet you at the beach?"

"Actually, I'm already on my way over to your house right now," he said, sounding guilty. I laughed.

"Anxious, are we?" I joked.

"You have no idea," I heard him mumble. "I'll Seth know you'll be with me."

"Oh. I was just gonna call him to let him know, but okay, that works too! Thanks!"

"My pleasure. Hey Leah?"

"Yes?" I loved the way he said my name. I hate to sound cheesy, but the way he says my name…it's like musical in a way. Like he harmonizes it. It just rolls off his tongue so beautifully. I wonder if I sound the same way when I say his name. Probably not. I've heard my voice before on camera, I pretty much sound like an idiot. Then again, most people hate how they sound on camera.

He sighed, "Never mind. I'll be there in 5, okay? Bring a sweater, it's gonna get cold later tonight."

"Okay. See you in a few, Jake."

I hate when people begin to tell you something then just saying "never mind." It's like, why bother even saying something that'll peak my curiosity then disregard the whole thing? That's like dangling a soft, warm, delicious cookie in front of someone's face and asking if they want it, then changing your mind and eating it instead. Such a douchebag move, if you ask me. One of my biggest pet peeves.

"You going to the bonfire tonight, princess?" my dad asked, breaking me out of my reverie and planting a seat next to me.

"How do you know about the bonfire? Wait, never mind. Of course you know about the bonfire," I say, frowning.

"You mind clarifying what you mean by that?" he asked, sounding amused. I huffed in annoyance. This not-knowing-anything thing was really frustrating.

"I mean you know everything about whatever it is that's going on around here," I say.

"That's not true," he laughed. "I don't know your friends you spent time with a couple of nights ago."

"That's my business," I all but whined. What is with everyone wanting to know so badly about who my friends were? Do they think I'm running with the wrong crowd or something? Well, I guess technically vampires aren't ideal company, but the Cullens are different.

"Such a stubborn girl," he teased, poking me in the rib, knowing it was my most ticklish spot.

"I bet you could take a wild guess at who I inherited it from," I said, snidely looking at him with a smirk.

"Definitely me. You have all my good traits, of course," he chuckled.

We were interrupted by Jacob's knocks on the door. He walked through the door when my dad offered him an invitation in.

"You ready to go?" Jacob asked in a low tone, with eyes deep enough to drown anyone lucky enough to get caught in them. Today was my lucky day. Aside from his Greek God appearance, his eyes were these orbs that compelled me to look directly into them. It was like looking anywhere else would have been a crime. That animal in my head was purring again, enticing me to go to Jacob and wrap myself around him.

My dad cleared my voice loudly with a stern but amused face. "I guess that answers my question then."

"What question?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"I asked if you were going to the bonfire," he said, chuckling.

"Oh. Right. Yeah, I'm going."

"Aren't you two a little early? I thought it wasn't going to start until later tonight?" he asked.

"Sorry sir," Jacob said sheepishly, "I asked if Leah wanted to hang out beforehand."

I beamed at him. He was so cute! Even when he was a nervous wreck in front of my dad, he was undeniably sexy.

God, if either Rachel or Rebecca were here to see me fawning over their brother, they'd be having a field day. Thank God they're out of town at the moment!

My dad gave Jacob a hard look in which Jacob gave a slight nod. "Well what are you waiting for, princess? You don't want to keep Black waiting all night."

I blinked once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Then I stood up wordlessly, not even wanting to question my father's odd behavior. Jacob held the door wide open for me with a huge smile on his face. His eyes never left me once.

"Hey," he said, pulling me into a tight hug once we were outside.

"Hello to you too, Jake," I laughed, wrapping my arms around his torso. The butterflies in my stomach were going bat shit crazy, and I was already feeling light-headed by his intoxicating scent of fresh pine and musk.

"I walked the whole way here," he said, slowly releasing me. "It wasn't too far of a walk from my house to yours, I hope you don't mind."

Not at all! More time with you is not a problem with me! "That's okay, no big deal."

"Good. Let's get started then, yeah? What do you wanna talk about?" he asked, slinging an arm around me.

The animal in me was prancing and rubbing herself against anything solid, wagging her tail furiously. I really need to get Carlisle to check my head for any sign of mental damage.

"How 'bout we start off with what you're so anxious to tell me?"

"Straight to the point, huh?" he laughed, giving my shoulder a light squeeze. "And there isn't any way I can somehow postpone that conversation till later?"

"No can do, Jake," I smiled.

"Okay, you win," he sighed dramatically. His face turned serious instantly. "I know you're probably fed up with how many times you've been asked who your friends are and where you were."

I looked him in the eyes and saw the concern on his face and the pain in his eyes, and nodded.

"I thought so. I would be too, if the roles were reversed. But I want you to know we're all just worried about your safety. If something ever happened to you…."

"Nothing won't happen to me, Jake," I said quietly, avoiding his piercing stare.

"Damn straight. If anyone lays a finger on you, they'll have me to deal with."

"Have you always been this protective?" I joked, attempting to lighten up the mood. "I bet Rachel and Rebecca just loved that."

He snorted, "Yeah right. You know how many times I got a beat down from them for being a good brother? Too goddamn much to count."

"That sounds like them," I laughed, relieved to see the softness of his face reappear in place of the hardened features.

"Back to the topic at hand," he said, pulling me tighter against his body. "That night you came back from hanging out with your friends…..you said something. You said you wouldn't tell us your secret unless we told you ours. I was completely mind blown. I thought we were all doing a good job at being discreet. Apparently not. Or maybe we were, but you're just too perceptive for your own good."

He smiled down at me to let me know he wasn't meaning to offend me.

"I don't remember saying that at all," I said confusedly.

"You were pretty gone," he laughed loudly, remembering my drunken stupor.

"Too gone," I agreed, shaking my head.

"But I'm glad that comment slipped out. I don't know how much longer we can keep up this act when basically everyone you know, your whole family, is in on it."

"Please don't tell me you are all part of a gang affiliation," I groaned jokingly.

"Funny," he said sarcastically. "No, we're not a gang. Well, not technically. It's complicated, Lee. You have no idea how much I want to tell you. I swear to you on everything I have that I would tell you if I could, but I literally can't. It's sort of a long process, an initiation really, before I explain it to you and you fully understand."

"What if I don't want to be initiated in whatever is going on?" I asked slowly. I want nothing to do with La Push. My intention was to come back to support my dad, that's it. Jacob was never part of the plan. And every minute I spend with him ruins my plans of ever leaving again. I start to feel my desire to leave slowly disperse. I get this feeling that I belong here, that I was brought back for a reason. And as much as I want to ignore it, I can't.

"That's what I'm worried about," he said quietly, not meeting my eyes.

"What do you mean?" I asked, sensing the sadness in his voice.

"It's so complicated, Lee. There are different layers that I have to explain for you to understand. You won't understand one part until you know the layer beneath it. The highest layer is a bond that is the most difficult to explain and that's where I am right now."

"And what does that have to do with me?" I asked.

"Everything," he breathed, still not looking me in the eyes.

"What? How? That doesn't even make sense." How the hell am I even a part of this whole thing? I was gone for like a year. How can I possibly be a part of whatever it is Jacob is struggling with?

"It doesn't make sense because you don't understand the layers beneath it," he sighed. "I promise you'll find out real soon. I won't make you wait any longer."

"How soon?" I asked.

"Tonight."

**a/n**: Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! =) Please review!

So as you may know, I had finals last week, and I got my grades back today! I totally kicked ass! ;) Hard work definitely pays off! Stay consistent and follow your dreams, everyone! Don't let anyone ever tell you you can't do something! Just thought I'd offer some words of encouragement to all of you who have been so supportive of me. I truly believe that if you work hard and put your mind to something, the possibilities are endless!


	8. Chapter 8

**LPOV**

"I'm glad to see Jacob finally smiling and back to normal," Kim said, similing shyly.

"Back to normal? What was wrong with him?" I asked, confused.

"You know, the Bella thing?" There was a hint of displeasure in her tone.

"What Bella thing?"

"You don't know?" Kim asked with wide eyes. "I'm sorry – I thought you knew. I have said anything. It's really none of my business, we can talk about it once Jacob tells you." She looked truly ashamed and turned her downcast face toward the blazing fire.

There was laughter all around me as the guys surrounded the fire, messing with each other. I looked to my right and saw Jacob laughing merrily with Embry over something Quil had said. I loved seeing him smile, and the sound of his laughter was music to my ears. It's strange to think Jacob would act differently. It's weird to think his attitude change was caused by Bella. Did they have a falling out?

"Kim," I said, nudging her arm with my elbow. "You can't just throw something like that at me and decide not to tell me. What happened with Bella?"

She hesitated before answering. "It's really not my place to tell you, Leah."

"That's too bad," I huffed, annoyed. "You started it, now finish it. Tell me or I'll ask everyone right now what the hell happened."

"Okay, okay," she said hurriedly. "Jacob was in love with Bella. They started to get really close once Edward left her, but when he came back to Washington, it tore him apart to see her choose Edward again. It really messed him up, but when you came he's been slowly getting better."

"Jacob was in love with Bella?" I asked, shocked.

"Yup," she said, sounding a little disgusted.

"For how long?" It was a stupid question and I really didn't want to know the answer to it, but it slipped out of my mouth nonetheless.

"Honestly," she sighed. "I can't remember a time when he wasn't in love with her."

"Oh." What do I say to that? How am I supposed to respond to something like that? I always knew Jacob had a little crush on Bella, but I never knew he fell in love with her. Does Edward know this? Of course he doesn't, because for some reason he can't read Bella's mind. This whole time though, this whole time I thought I was getting closer to Jacob, I have basically been his rebound. He's in love with Bella and then suddenly he's all better because I'm here? That makes no absolute sense at all. Maybe there's more to what he has to tell me. Maybe he was hesitating to mention Bella today because he knew I would react today.

He always seems so genuine though, so sincere and happy to be with me. But then again, I didn't know about his relationship with Bella beforehand so I don't really know if he treats all his friends this way, or just girls. Maybe he knew he was slowly getting under my skin. Maybe he knew that there was a slight chance that I might have actually started to develop some feelings for him. He obviously knew he was drop-dead gorgeous because really, why else would he walk around half-naked the majority of the time?

And what about Bella? Yeah, she was shocked to see that I had a close friendship with the Cullens, but she eventually warmed up to the idea. She started acting weird when the topic of Jacob came up. She looked kind of frantic, and when the topic dropped, I saw her relax back into her seat in relief.

So what does that make me? I know Jacob wouldn't just straight up use me as some rebound girl, but then again I've been gone for a while and apparently I've missed out on a lot, so I might be wrong. Do I want to be there for Jacob? Of course I want to help him heal his broken heart, but I don't want to be the girl that steps in place of Bella when he's still in love with her. Kim said he was torn up over Bella being with Edward and that he started getting better once I came back, but how is that even possible? How can anyone get over someone they love so quickly? I certainly haven't forgotten my fucking love for Samuel completely and it's been over a year! The only explanation that seems logical is that Jacob is not really realizing that he's using me to drown the feelings he has for Bella.

"I-I have to make a call," I said suddenly, getting to my feet. "I'll be right back."

"Okay," Kim said quietly, nodding.

I walked a few feet away from the bonfire and whipped out my phone to dial Edward.

He answered on the first ring. "How can I help you?" His musical voice rang out.

"Can you come pick me up?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately sounding worried.

"I'll tell you when you get here. Just come pick me up."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." I heard the sound of his car door slamming shut and the engine revving.

"Wait," I sighed. "Don't bring anyone. I just want it to be us two. We have a lot to discuss."

"Okay, no problem. Where are you at?" he asked.

"I'm at the beach. Want me to start walking up toward my house?"

"Yeah, I don't think the locals will be too happy to see me step foot on their beach."

"Okay, I'll start walking up now. I'll see you soon."

"Be careful."

I shoved my phone in my pocket and made my way back to the bonfire. Jacob looked up and gave me a confused look. I smiled and made my way toward him.

"What's up?" he asked, slinging an arm around me.

"I'm actually gonna head back," I said quietly.

"What? But we're just about to start." He looked crushed.

"I know, but I really don't feel good at all. I just need to clear my head for a while okay? I can't really do that with a group of people around."

"Okay," he nodded. "I'll go with you."

A rumbling car came into view and parked near the beach. Bella stepped out of the car with a scared look on her face, and I rolled my eyes. How nice of her to show up.

"Hey, Jake!" Bella smiled, making a bee line toward us. "Hi, Leah!"

I nodded back at her.

"Bella?" Jacob sounded confused and surprised to see her. "What are you doing?"

Not wanting to stick around to see Jacob fawn over my best friends girlfriend, I decided to make my exit. "I'll see you around, Jake. Nice seeing you, Bella."

I hurriedly walked past the two of them and started to jog up the street in case Jacob was insane enough to follow me, because that's something he totally would do.

I saw Edward's car already parked outside my house. I picked up my speed and threw open the door, flinging myself in the passenger's side. "Let's go."

We sped away down the highway, away from La Push and away from Forks.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"So are you going to let me know what's wrong?" he asked.

"Where do I start?" I groaned.

"We'll talk about every person who's troubling you one by one," he laughed, but I knew he was being completely serious.

"It's a long list," I warned.

"Well it's a good thing I don't need sleep then," he joked.

I felt the corners of my lips curve up into a smile, "Yeah, how convenient. But all right, I guess we can start off with my parents."

"What about them?" he asked, his brows knitting together in confusion.

"I know they're in on this big secret," I started, and saw his eyes narrow slightly. "And yeah, it bothers me that they don't trust me enough to tell me, but what bothers me even more is the fact that they let Samuel come and go in my house whenever the hell he wants! It's like they forgot what he did to me…."

"Lee," he sighed, "It's not what you think, I promise you that. I can assure you they haven't forgotten what he's done. Sam Uley is a leader to the other boys."

"Some leader he is," I snorted disapprovingly. "I heard that all of the boys that follow him like lost puppies have been missing so much school that the majority of their teachers have given up on them."

"I didn't know they stopped going to school," Edward said, looking guilty.

"Neither did I!" I exclaimed, exasperated. "I wanted to strangle Seth when I found out!"

"Speaking of your brother," Edward started, "Has he been giving you trouble too?"

"Yes and no. He's in on the big secret, he follows Samuel around, and he's always going into the forest."

Edward nodded and kept silent.

"And he's always questioning me about who I hungout with when I was with you and your fam," I said, shaking my head.

"I'm assuming he's not the only one who's been asking you about us?" he asked, glancing at the scowl on my face.

"Nope," I said bitterly.

"Ah," he says. "I assume there are more people on this list of yours?"

"Oh yeah," I snort. "But I'm just gonna cut it down to the main reason I'm here."

"Which is?"

"Jacob."

"Jacob Black?"

"That's the one," I sigh.

"What about him?" Edward asked, I saw his grip tightening around the steering wheel.

"Did you know he's in love with Bella?" I asked, not liking the sadness I heard in my voice.

"Yes," he said sadly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, frowning. "You could have saved me a lot of time."

"I thought he was going to be a man and tell you himself," he said darkly, "but I stand corrected."

"I think I was starting to fall for him. He's been such a good guy, you know? Every time I was with him, I just felt like I was in the right place, like nothing could ever go wrong. Then I hear these annoying animalistic sounds in my head – which reminds me, do you think your dad can check my head? Anyway, I just found out that Jacob has been heartbroken over Bella going back to you, but once I got back, he went back to normal. I'm his rebound. I hate men."

"I don't think he's using you," Edward said slowly, parking the car by some park I didn't know the name to.

"I do," I say in a flat tone. "He might not realize it, but he's using me to drown the pain of losing Bella. God, why does everyone like her?"

He offered a loud laugh even at my current resentment toward his girlfriend. "You're amazing, Leah. You are a wonderful, strong, and beautiful woman that any man would be lucky to have. I may not be Jacob's biggest fan, but I know enough to know that the boy is not using you. If I can see how wonderful you are, he will too. How do I know this? That's easy. Apparently when it comes to women, he and I have the same taste."

"Ain't that the truth," I sighed. "Thanks, by the way, you sure know how to boost a girls ego."

"My pleasure," he smiled. "What are BFF's for?"

I burst out laughing and clutched my sides. This was too good, no one could ever get Edward to conform to speaking in acronyms, this was a huge success for me! I was having one of those silent laughs that made you look stupid. He eventually joined in on the laughter and for a moment it was like we were back in Alaska ranting about everything that was wrong in our lives. For a moment, I didn't feel the aching pain over the possibility that Jacob was still painfully in love with Bella. For a moment we were just two friends laughing life in the eye.

**a/n**: Heyyy! I just wanted to let you all know that I got the role of Leah in the Twilight Role Play thing on FF. I got an invite from the creator, she told me that she sends invitations to people who other authors and readers suggest to invite, so I thank you all for suggesting that I get sent an invite! I went through an audition process and landed the role of Leah lol. Thanks again!


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